Saving a Blue Butterfly
by IsabelCalder
Summary: Max has decided to sacrifice Chloe to save Arcadia Bay, and she finds herself in the girl's bathroom where the nightmare first began. But even after all she had been through and everything she knew about the near future, what if she still can't let go of Chloe?
1. Max and Chloe Meet, Again

**Chapter One: Max and Chloe Meet, Again**

 _This story goes back to the beginning, after the story had been played out. Max had confronted Chloe and the tornado at the lighthouse, and after a brief last moment, Chloe convinced Max to sacrifice her life for the sake of Arcadia Bay. And so Max uses the photo of the blue butterfly in the girl's bathroom and transcends to the scene of Chloe's murder. She has full knowledge of the consequences of her time travel, and intends on letting destiny take the life of her best friend._

Here I am again, in the loop of a nightmare. I was already in tears again from seeing her for the last time at the lighthouse, knowing what I had to do to save this town. It was the hardest decision to make because I knew that I would have to shred the photo and never again return to this moment. I gazed at it, thinking to myself how the only image I will have from here will be a memory. I would never be able to look at a blue butterfly without thinking Chloe.

As I was choking on my sobs, I heard Nathan Prescott walk through the door and I tried to muffle my sounds. Crouched in the corner by the bucket on the floor, I watched the butterfly float towards the mirrors above the sink as I listened to Nathan ramble frantically to himself.

"It's cool, Nathan… don't stress…" he said to his reflection. Reliving this moment was hard knowing he was carrying a gun. "Don't be scared…" he said, breathing loudly. "You own this school. If I wanted to, I could blow it up." And a heavy sigh, he tapped the porcelain sink with both hands and said, "You're the boss."

Chloe walks in, and Nathan recovers his composure. "So, what do you want?" he asked irritably.

Chloe proceeded to push the doors of the toilet stalls. "I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say. Now, let's talk bidness."

As their conversation was becoming more intense, I couldn't take my eyes off the photo. I couldn't bear the thought of destroying Chloe, the blue butterfly. I couldn't contain my hyperventilating, but they were arguing so loudly they wouldn't be able to hear me.

Nathan was screaming. "Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"

At that point, my judgment became clouded. I couldn't let her die. I couldn't let Joyce lose her husband and _then_ her daughter. I couldn't lose her because I loved her. There had to be another way around this cyclic nightmare, maybe a way to save everyone… and then, I couldn't believe what I had decided to do.

As Nathan backed Chloe against the wall, I reenacted that moment as I had done before to save her life. I broke the glass of the fire alarm and set it off. Only this time, instead of waiting for Nathan and Chloe to leave before me, I stepped out of the shadows and caught a glimpse of Chloe, still alive.

" _Max?!_ " Chloe exclaimed. She didn't smile, but she was astonished.

I pretended not to recognize her immediately. " _Chloe?!_ "

"You two freaks _know_ each other?!" Nathan yelled, concealing his gun and preparing to bolt. He wouldn't want anyone catching him in the girl's bathroom with two girls, especially Chloe and me. Nathan pointed at Chloe, and then he pointed at me. He narrowed his eyes. "I'm on to you." And with that, he was out the door, meshing with the evacuating crowd.

"Max, I can't believe it's you," Chloe said. The alarm was still blaring, and I knew we needed to leave before Principal Wells showed up.

"We can't talk here, we have to go," I said, cracking open the door. The crowd was thinning as everyone was making their way out to the front lawn. We would be more conspicuous if we didn't act quickly.

"Well, we can't evacuate with them. I got expelled from here, so they'd probably pin this on me. Wouldn't go well for me at home," Chloe said pensively. "Follow me," she said, taking my hand. The last of the crowd was headed outside, and we were able to successfully run toward the empty hallway before David Madsen and Principal Wells reached the bathroom door.

"Over here!" I said to Chloe, passing her to take the lead, still holding her hand. We hid narrowly behind a set of lockers while David was making sure the last of the students were outside. Then, we turned another corner and ran to the exit door of the back building. It was closer to the parking lot, and it was most likely vacant.

We hyperventilated once we were outside. We could hear the commotion on the front lawn of the school building. "Listen Max, I have my truck here. Let's fucking blow this place. Then we can talk about what just fucking happened." I couldn't tell if she was pissed off at me or Nathan. She pointed to the beige pick-up parked audaciously in two handicapped spots. _How considerate of her_.

"Okay, but I can't be off campus too long."

"Oh, you haven't changed," she said, sneaking the perimeter of the parking lot, leading me to her truck undetected. Except we weren't undetected.

We turned the corner towards the parking lot. "Samuel!" I exclaimed, as the maintenance worker stood up. I could have easily tripped over him. Chloe kept walking, but I had to stop.

He had been feeding the squirrels. "Why hello, young Max." If I didn't know any better, I would think that his general demeanor was very creepy. And a lot of girls think so, especially when they see him doing maintenance around the girl's dorm room. But after taking the time to feed some squirrels with him, I realized that he was completely harmless, just a little off in the head.

"Hi, Samuel," I said. I looked around nervously. I knew Samuel probably wouldn't tell anyone, but I had to cover my tracks anyway. There was a moment of silence when he glanced at the gathered crowd in the distant front lawn, but it was only silence between us. The alarm was still blaring. "You're not going to tell anyone what I'm doing, are you?"

He chuckled. "Oh, I'm just here doing maintenance." He didn't seem to notice Chloe, who lingered behind the first car in the lot. "We can keep secrets," he motioned to his squirrels.

With that, I caught up with Chloe and we were able to make it to her truck. The audible crunch of leaves on pavement carried our steps.

"What a nutjob," Chloe said. I didn't say anything, mainly because I didn't have to heart to talk badly about Samuel. I guess I knew what it was like, to be misunderstood.

Instead, I got into her truck. "Keep your head down," Chloe told me as she pulled out of the parking lot and drove in front of the school building, where the entire student body was congregated. "Shit! I think he saw my truck," Chloe cursed. When I knew we were off of school property, I lifted my head from hiding.

"Who is _he_?" I asked.

Chloe rolled her window down to smoke a cigarette. "My step-douche. This will _definitely_ not go over well at home…"

We didn't speak for a minute. I kept planning things, like when to tell Chloe the truth, how she will react, and what to do to prove my powers. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Warren.

 **Warren:** Yo Max! Where you at! The whole school is out here but I can't find you…

I decided not to respond. I'd be back at school in a couple hours, at most. I'd explain everything to him. And I'd make sure to get his flash drive.

 **Warren:** Helloooo?

I shut my phone and felt it buzz one more time. Warren had a bad habit of overtexting. It always annoyed me.

"So," Chloe began after an awkward silence. "You wanna tell me what you were doing in there?" The cigarette seemed to mellow her out a little bit. "I checked the stalls when I walked in."

"Well," I said, trying to plan my words carefully. Chloe was driving towards the lighthouse, the place that will always carry significant meaning to me. I couldn't let this story play out again like it did. I had to find a way to change destiny, to save everyone.

"Well?" Chloe said. "We haven't seen each other in five years and you have no words for me?"

"I don't know _what_ was happening." _Lie._ "But I knew you were in trouble. I just happened to be there, so I did what I had to do."

" _You_ pulled the alarm?" Chloe asked? I nodded, looking down at my lap. "Wow, Max. You 'just happened to be there' at a pretty convenient time for me." She littered the cigarette butt out the window, but kept the window down. "Almost suspiciously convenient." The wind from the winding road poured in, and the bare sunlight illuminated her. She kept her eyes on the road. _Her eyes are so… blue. It really goes well with her hair._

"Suspiciously? I had nothing to do with Nathan, if that's what you mean."

She laughed sharply. "Yeah, I don't see you hanging around the likes of him. You're a decent human being." She messed with the radio for a bit, then gave up. "I'm not driving too far, just to the lighthouse. We have a fuck ton to catch up on," Chloe said, turning into the parking lot for the scenic lighthouse path. "And I'll pretend that you didn't call or text when you bailed for Seattle. I mean, it was kind of lame, but I won't make a big deal out of it today. Especially after today."

"Yeah, it's been a weird day," I said as Chloe parked badly. The truck crossed into the next spot. Instead of correcting it, she got out and slammed the door. Looking back at me through the windshield, she yelled, "Come on!" and pulled another cigarette from her pack.

She lit it when I caught up to her, and I tried to keep up as she walked briskly uphill towards the bench outside the lighthouse. The sun was high in the sky, midday, and the birds were loud. I thought about how the birds started to die as the climate shifted, before the tornado.

Chloe kept walking like she had a mission and an ultimatum, but to my knowledge there was nowhere we needed to be. Except away from Blackwell for a little while, until things calmed down. When we reached the bench, she sat down. "I just needed to get far away from there," she said, taking a drag and ashing on a daffodil. "Fuck this town and the people in it. Especially Nathan Prescott."

I figured now was as good of a time for the truth as ever. These white lies will only go so far before thoroughly breaking her trust. And time meant something different now, and I'd rather have her on my level sooner rather than a little too late.

"I need to tell you something," I said. She looked at me intently. "And I need you to listen carefully, because it's not going to make sense at first. You'll probably think it's crazy."

"Now I'm really intrigued," she said, propping her feet on the bench and leaning on her knees. "Tell me your secrets," she persuaded, both diabolically and seductively. Dr. Chloe is checking my psyche.

I couldn't help but laugh, though it was nervous laughter. I didn't know what to feel about Chloe, after everything I had seen. We had kissed and she doesn't know it. We had been in a swimming pool together, had taken a picture in her bed, and had talked jokingly about eloping together. And she doesn't know any of it. Not in this timeline. I needed to be careful with everything I said, and I needed to stay consistent with this situation. Chloe and I were not that close right now. My five years of absence and neglect are still very fresh on her mind.

"I knew Nathan was going to shoot you," I began. "I knew it, he was going to shoot you in the stomach. And you would die unless I did something like pull that alarm."

"Wait, what?"

"Chloe, I have this secret, this power."

"Are you psychic or some shit?"

"No, Chloe, _listen_. I have been traveling through time and space, to alternate realities. I know things right now that could help people, and stop bad things from happening."

Chloe laughed. "I knew those psychedelics were making their way around Blackwell. You have to be careful with that shit."

"No, _listen_!" I felt my body tense, the frustration of not being able to explain to her my power to turn back time. There had to be something I could say to make her believe me. "You know about Chaos Theory, right?"

"Why yes, to an extent. I mean, I'm not exactly a science geek, but I know some things." I remembered the alternate timeline when I had saved William from the car accident when Chloe and I were thirteen. She had been paralyzed completely after her own car accident, and William and Joyce were struggling to take care of her. She longed for the freedom she has in this timeline, but when she had a lot of time on her hands in the remodeled garage, she researched science. When she couldn't walk railroad tracks and drink beer at the junkyard, she actually _was_ a science geek.

"Chaos Theory," I continued, still not know too much about it even after I had seen it happen. It was so hard to talk about this phenomenon. "Crazy things have already started happening, and it begun with you and Nathan in the bathroom. That was where I first learned that I could manipulate time. I've seen you two there on many occasions, but it was always the same situation. I have watched you die, and I have pulled the alarm already before."

She had stopped interrupting me. She was trying to figure everything out, keeping an open mind.

"I have had visions, of a tornado coming to destroy Arcadia Bay, right over there," I said, pointing out to the bay and the town nestled by the shore. "And I have seen it happen, and you were there."

"Max," she said, touching my arm. "None of this makes any sense. I've already had the weirdest and most confusing day, and I don't need anything else fucking with me right now." I saw her pull out a cigarette, but when she took the first drag I realized it was a joint instead.

Just like at Two Whales, I had to convince her again. "Empty your pockets," I said.

"What, you going to try and rob me now?" she laughed, knowing that hypothetically my efforts would be pointless against her height and muscle mass. "You know I got nothing."

"I'm going to prove to you that I can reverse time. Just go along with it."

She shook her head, but reached into her pockets. "Alright, Max. I'll let you bullshit me one more time."

Her left pocket had her truck keys with the keychain, but that didn't matter since she knew I'd seen them. It was the sixty-three cents, the red lighter, and the 10:32am parking ticket that would convince her. It wasn't quite what she had in her pockets when I blew her mind at Two Whales.

While studying the pile in her lap, she started to get annoyed. "Okay, so what is this all about?"

I lifted my hand forward, as I had done the first time I saved her life. I felt the blood rushing to my head as I saw the world around me rewind, watching the things go back into her pockets, waiting for the right moment to rejoin the timeline.

 _Here it is._

"I've already had the weirdest and most confusing day, and I don't need anything else fucking with me right now."

"Look," I began, with direct eye contact. "If I can reverse time, then I could have made you empty your pockets before reversing time again. So in that case, I can tell you exactly what you have in your pockets."

Chloe looked at me critically, as if I were a magician and she was trying to figure out my secrets. "Go for it."

"You have…" I began, recollecting what I saw. "Your car keys with the panda bear keychain,"

"Wait a minute!" she interrupted. "You saw me put them in my pockets."

"And you also have sixty-three cents, a red lighter, and a parking ticket issued at 10:32 in the morning." I said with confidence.

Chloe emptied her pockets, and looked at me with astonishment. "There's gotta be some kind of trick. There is no way." I sat next to her, trying to think of another way to convince her. There was a breeze, and some acorns fell from an overhanging tree, one that popped Chloe on the knee. And then I went back in time, calling what she had in her pockets. And at the moment where she needed just a little more convincing, I said, "An acorn is about to hit your knee." I grabbed her leg and told her to be still as the breeze returned. Like clockwork, we both anticipated the audible pop against her kneecap, and she covered her mouth in her hands.

"Jesus _fucking_ Christ!" Chloe yelled, scaring away the birds in the treetops. "No _fucking_ way!" she got up quickly from the bench, grabbed my hands and pulled me up with her. "We gotta put these powers to the test."

"We're not shooting a gun in the junkyard," I said.

She stared at me in a way someone would if you had read their mind verbatim. "How did you…" she began, then shook her head. "Because the powers. Duh."

"I can't stick around and play with time anyways because you have to get me back to Blackwell." I said, checking the clock on my phone. There were a couple more brand new texts from Warren, but I didn't worry about it. I walked behind Chloe as she pranced down the hill with so much new energy that it wasn't like her at all.

"Tomorrow!" she said, tapping the hood of her truck before hopping behind the wheel. "Tomorrow, meet me at Two Whales. I bet Mom will die when she sees you again."

I knew it was a matter of time before I'd see Joyce again. I agreed to breakfast as she drove back onto the road that led to the scene of most of my nightmares. When we got to the parking lot, we didn't hug. She simply told me she'd text me when she woke up in the morning, and I told her I'd meet her there. It was so hard not to grab onto her, to tell her I loved her, but I knew at the point in our reunion that it would be way too much. However, it may not be enough for my reunion with Warren. I had some explaining to do.

I heard the truck engine roar out towards the road, and I saw Chloe give the campus the finger before racing towards the Pacific sunset.

 _Okay, now that's taken care of. I have to go find Warren._

I put my headphones on and walked to Syd Matters' "To All of You" until I reached the girl's dormitory. I had to get the flash drive and then sift through the texts from my anxious admirer. Let the nightmare begin again.


	2. Kiss of Regret

**Chapter 2: Kiss of Regret**

 _After Chloe drove away, Max was thinking about the lighthouse. It was strange how they spent part of a beautiful afternoon in the place where she first saw the massive tornado that threatened the existence of Arcadia Bay. She was just glad to see Chloe again, as a friend. That was all she really wanted, and she'd do anything to keep her. The only problem was, how long will she have to fight against Chloe's destiny to keep her alive?_

As I walked across the courtyard with my ear buds in, I tried to stay focused. I walked briskly, knowing that I needed to get the flash drive from Dana before texting Warren. _Just be careful so I don't have to use these powers as much._ I reflected on horrible headaches and bloody noses. My eyes were towards the pavement. I walked by the boy's dorm and saw Zachary tossing the football around. I didn't bother asking if he had seen Warren.

It was late afternoon, and the sun would be quickly descending in an hour or two. The days were beginning to get shorter as the leaves fell. It was only a matter of time before we're all mandated to be in our dormitories for the night.

Just then, I felt something on my shoulder. I jumped and turned around. And then I looked up. _Mr. Jefferson!_ I was clearly startled, especially knowing what he does with the Prescott's underground dark room. "Hello, Max," he said professionally. He was a wolf in teacher's clothing. A devilishly handsome photographic psycho posing as a high school instructor.

"Er, hey," I said nervously, trying to control my inner rage. I could easily say, "Go fuck yourself!" And I could just as easily take it back by reversing time. I knew very well that there were consequences for everything. While keeping Chloe alive, I was also keeping a serial killer alive as well. So I just had to grit my teeth and pretend to be professional like he was doing.

"I don't mean to disturb you, I just wanted to make sure that you were going to submit something for the Everyday Heroes contest."

I thought about the picture I had intended on submitting, knowing that in a distant timeline it was the winning photo that got me on a plane to San Francisco. "I don't have anything yet, sir." I shuffled my feet, trying to think of a graceful way out of the conversation. "I'm actually wandering the grounds. You know, for inspiration."

He chuckled at his student's creative methods and then replied, "Well, then. I guess I'll just leave you to it. See you in class." As he walked away, I saw Victoria Chase giving me a predatorial stare. It was only a matter of time before she'd approach.

As she walked up in her designer skirt and perfectly trimmed pixie cut, I saw her give a wishful glance towards Mr. Jefferson before redirecting her hateful beeline towards me. "Hey there, Selfie-Max."

I didn't respond. As I was about to put in my ear buds and continue the walk across campus, she stopped me. "Don't even think about submitting a photo!" she said, as if I were a threat to her dream getaway with the teacher. If only she knew what I know about him. She'd probably cancel her submission. "You know you don't have what it takes for Mr. Jefferson." The earbuds were in, and I could almost feel her seething and foaming at the mouth in anger about being ignored by a loser like me. The old Max would have been caught off guard by her approach. The new Max doesn't care at all.

 _Tune out the bullshit. There's work to be done._

In the original timeline, I had to go to Dana's room to get the flash drive. In order to do that, I had to settle an argument between Juliet and her, exposing Victoria and her manipulative rumors. And also get Juliet very upset with Zachary. I knew Victoria was pissed over the article Juliet wrote about her, and was getting her revenge. But why bring Dana into all of it? Yeah, she was in the Vortex club, but she was also really sweet.

When I went back to my room, I actually found the flash drive on my own desk. The note that Dana had written when she had borrowed it was gone. _So technically this is a different time line now._ Dana must have already been released from her captivity and was able to return it. I wonder if Dana and Juliet are still at odds.

I looked out the window and saw that the sun was quickly setting. _So Warren's been waiting extra long for his flash drive this time._ My phone was blasted with his texts, and another from Mom reminding me to water the plant. But even if I forgot, I could theoretically go back in time so Lisa never wilts her leaves. However, I vowed to use my powers very sparingly. There wasn't enough medicine in the world to combat the time travel headaches.

 **Warren:** Yo Max! You alive?

 _Time to take care of this._

 **Max:** I'm so sorry! It's been one hell of a day…

 **Max:** Where are you?

 **Warren:** I'm outside of the boy's dorm, wishing I could watch a movie on my flash drive…

There was a minute where I could almost picture him sitting in front of the dorm like a sad puppy without his flash drive.

 **Warren:** Maybe if you bring it we can watch one together?

 _Warren, I don't have time for this…_

 **Max:** I'll meet you in front of your dorm.

Before leaving my room, I altered a few things. First, I put the coconut cookies Mom sent me for my birthday under the bed. Those are mine and not Victoria's, so they can't be out in plain sight. As long as I don't step on her toes, she won't even have a reason to come in here and take them like last time. Then I changed clothes in case I smelled like Chloe's weed and cigarette smoke. After making sure I didn't look like a total loser, I descended the stairwell and out into the tranquil darkness.

It didn't take me long to reach the boy's dorm. I didn't wear ear buds in case someone like Jefferson decided to sneak up on me again. I decided it would be best not to walk with music anymore so I'd be more aware of my surroundings. However, there wasn't a soul in sight as I walked the stretch of pavement, passing statues, totem poles, and photographs on display. I could see Warren up ahead, sitting on the stone steps and looking into his phone.

"Hey," I greeted, which startled him immediately.

I saw him close his phone and fix his posture. "Oh, Max! You scared me!" He didn't get up or try to hug me. If he had, I'd probably hug him back. I need one of those after living today all over again.

"Quiet as the night," I replied.

"Yeah, you're quite the ninja."

I pulled the flash drive out of my pocket. "Here's your flash."

"How much did you check out?" he asked eagerly.

"Well, I didn't have time for too much," I said, wiggling my toes nervously in my tennis shoes. "But I saw what was in that folder. The folder called 'Max.'"

"That, as you may guess, was entirely meant for you," he grinned. He stood up and walked closer, standing just a few feet away. "So out of every obscure and haunting film on there, I'd say you caught the best ones." He reached for the flash drive. I felt the warmth of his hand on my wrist. I could feel blood flowing to my face, and I thought to myself how the night would conceal my blushing.

I smiled shyly. "Thanks, Warren."

"Yeah, anytime." There was quite an awkward silence before he spoke again. "Listen, I need to talk to you."

He was going to ask me on a date. Everything in me knew that I would have to refuse. I really liked Warren, and I thought I even liked him as more than a friend. Kind of the way he likes me. I'd have to refuse or else I could lose one of the only friends I have at Blackwell.

"There's been talk, in the boy's dorm," he began. It wasn't a date. This was something entirely unromantic. I took a breath of relief. But what could Warren be talking about? Certainly it's about Kate Marsh. Everyone's been talking about Kate lately.

And then it suddenly occurred to me that Kate Marsh was still very much alive. Still the target of bullying and harassment, and still a potential suicide. I'm doing all of this again to save Chloe, but there's no reason why I shouldn't save Kate too.

"There's talk everywhere lately," I said, alluding to Kate.

He shook his head. "Not like this. It's Nathan, and it's actually about you."

 _Shit, that's right. He saw me in the girl's bathroom, with Chloe._ I realized that if I was going to continue messing with time, I'd have to have a better memory.

"Did something happen today? I just heard him ranting to Zachary about needing to 'set things straight with Max.' You know what that's all about?" he asked.

I could tell him the truth. I knew without a doubt that Warren would literally take a beating from Nathan Prescott in my honor. "Yes," I said, sitting on the steps. He sat next to me, leaned forward, and waited with anticipation. "There was a fight today, in the girl's bathroom."

I thought about the look of horror on Chloe's face when she saw Nathan pull out a gun. I remember the blood from when he shot into her stomach. Even though I managed to change that part of the timeline again, I would be traumatized just by the image of Chloe dead on the bathroom floor.

"A fight, with who?"

And for reasons I cannot explain, tears began to well up. I choked on my words, and Warren could see that I was clearly upset. "Max," he said soothingly, putting his arm around my shoulders. I buried my face in my hands to hide my crying. "What happened? You can tell me everything."

After a few wavering deep breaths, I began the bitter truth. "He had a gun, Warren. I saw him shoot a girl."

"What?!" he asked, alarmed. "I never heard anything about that, Max."

"That's because," I said. "He didn't really shoot her. I mean, he did, but I changed it. And I-"

"Hang on there, Max. I think you may have been watching too many movies on my flash drive. I know, it rocked my reality too."

"That's not it!" I said. "It's really weird, this day has been really weird, I don't know if I can explain," I was talking very quickly, stammering and struggling to explain, and the tears started to flow faster than I could control them. I was frustrated, and nobody in Arcadia Bay could fully understand the kind of stress that I was dealing with. This time travel experience has begun to unravel my psyche, and I realized that my perception on reality was permanently 'rocked,' as Warren would put it. I knew this as the truth, and that's why I couldn't stop myself from crying.

He held me while I cried, and I was thoroughly embarrassed. I must've gotten tears and snot on his sweatshirt sleeve, but there was never a moment where I considered him to be feeling uncomfortable. In fact, he held me with a sense of purpose, as if he were thinking, "This is what I'm doing. I'm holding my friend Max. I'm going to make her feel better." And it was working. After five minutes of this amazingly effective cry-on-shoulder therapy, I was able to lift my head again and breath normally.

I was still very embarrassed. My eyes were red, puffy, and my face felt the same. However, he looked at me as if I were a thing of beauty, and for reasons I will never know or understand. He and I saw two completely different things. "Feel better?" he asked, rubbing my back.

"Yes," I said, wiping my face on my own sleeve. "You're a great friend." I was lightheaded, but I felt better. We made eye contact. By light of the moon, he looked kind of dreamy. By day, he was just a regular geek like me.

But by light of the moon, and by sudden impulse, I leaned in to kiss him. And he kissed me back, like I knew he would. His lips were very soft, and warm, like his hand when it cradled the back of my neck. It felt natural, physically. Emotionally, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. This was a mistake.

I had to go back. I couldn't leave this relationship any kind of 'complicated.' There were important things to deal with, things that involve life and death. There was no time to explore anything beyond friendship with Warren Graham.

I pulled back from the kiss and the embrace. "Woah," I said, catching my breath that I had been holding in the whole time.

"Woah is right," he replied, smiling and laughing nervously. "I just expected my flash drive back."

I looked at him confused, and a little disoriented. Before going back in time, I needed to tell him something. "Warren," I said. He looked at me, probably expecting me to admit that it was a mistake, that I just wanted to be friends. Instead, I grabbed his hands and held them tenderly. "You are so amazing. You're a great friend, and I know you'd be a fun guy to go out with."

He grinned, as if his dream was just being realized. "Then go out with me, Max."

I kissed him again, passionately, as if it were the last time. In a moment it would be as if it never even happened.

"I'm so sorry, Warren."

He pulled back and stared at me. "What?" And before I could answer I was turning back time, back to the moment in conversation before I started crying. Before I realized that I actually did have a little crush on this boy.

Time resumed when he said again, "Listen, I need to talk to you." I had my emotional outburst, and a kiss I had to return. This time I needed to focus on the bigger plan. I needed to focus on Chloe.

Back in the moment, the beginning of my conversation with Warren, I knew that he wasn't initially asking me on a date. But I also knew that he would've eventually. I knew he was a great kisser and a tender soul, but none of that mattered anymore. Our relationship was once again platonic.

Now he was going to talk about Nathan Prescott. "Yeah, what is it?" I asked, trying to seem casual. My heart, however, was pounding unnaturally.

"Oh, Max!" he exclaimed, quickly pulling a tissue out of his pocket. "Your nose!"

I tapped my finger to my upper lip. _Yep, I'm bleeding._

"It's no big deal," I said, taking the tissue. "I'm kind of prone to nosebleeds."

"Happens to the best of us," he said. After waiting to make sure I was fine, he began again. "Listen, there's been a lot of talk around here. I heard Nathan ranting about you, saying that he needed to 'set things straight' with you."

"Yeah? What's that about?"

"That's why I'm talking to you. Did something happen today? Because I didn't hear from you at all for a while. I was starting to worry."

 _I needed to be truthful, but only with what was necessary._

"I caught Nathan in the girl's room," I said. "Doing something he wasn't supposed to."

"In the girl's room?" he asked with a half-smile. "That's a little strange."

"He was with another girl," I said. That was all I wanted him to know for now.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, taking in the juicy faux gossip. "That's why he wanted to 'set things straight.' I bet Victoria isn't supposed to know about it."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want the king of Blackwell angering the queen," I said, jokingly. Even though Victoria was all over Mr. Jefferson, it was so easy to pair her with Nathan Prescott, her elite male equivalent.

"That makes perfect sense now." Yeah, it would make more sense than the actual truth of a gun being pulled and a shot being fired. And of course, anything is more believable than how I turned back time to save a girl's life. He couldn't believe my time traveling ability, but he could certainly believe any scandal at Blackwell Academy. This place is like a reality show.

"Yeah, it's really no big deal. I'm sure Nathan will find me eventually."

"If he gives you any trouble," Warren said, trying to flex a muscle. "I'll kick his ass for you."

I laughed. "I know you would." Now that I remember, Warren did look kind of hot with a black eye. The old Max wouldn't ever be into something so edgy. I'm finding that I'm changing more than I thought.

"So Max," said Warren. "You got time to watch one of these movies with me? I've got a microwave in my room so we can make popcorn."

"Girl's aren't allowed in the boy's dorm, silly," I said playfully.

He looked pensively for a moment. "We'll make a rule-breaker out of you one day, Rebel Max." I couldn't help but laugh, considering that I've been breaking the rules of time and space. I've kind of become Rebel Max already.

"We'll have to catch a movie some other time. Which reminds me," he paused, probably for suspense. "There's this pretty cool drive-in I know about. We can take my new car and go catch a movie. It's only about sixty miles from here."

"Wow, an actual drive-in?"

"Yeah," he said. "I know, it's pretty old school. I'm kind of stuck in another decade"

"It's okay, I'm not exactly part of this time period either." I remember that I never got to go to the drive in, even though I did agree in my original time line. And I really wanted to go. It's not every day where you can sit in a car with the windows open while watching a sci-fi B-movie on an outdoor projector. Go ape!

"That does sound pretty fun, though. I'll have to make a mix-tape for the drive." I used the term 'mix-tape' very loosely, really meaning a CD. Or something more current.

"Yes, the drive to the drive-in," he chuckled nervously. "But my car is from the 70's, so it has to be an actual tape."

"We'll think of something, I'm sure." I felt my phone buzz. There were a couple new texts from Chloe. "Listen, I gotta go." Chloe comes first. Always.

Warren leaned in for a hug, but I turned and made it an awkward side-hug. Whatever was going on had to be taken very slowly between Warren and me. I don't even know what it is. All I know is, I've felt this way before. And it was stronger and more real. But it was with Chloe, not Warren. And since then, I've never been more confused about myself.

"I'll text you tomorrow, Rebel Max!" Warren said cheerfully. He ran up the stairs with much more energy than when I first saw him sitting on the steps. He had a drive-in date to look forward to. I couldn't help but be excited for the experience. There might be no other drive-ins in the state of Oregon.

I waved good-bye. "Yeah, see ya." I didn't glance back as I walked back towards the girl's dorm.

As I walked, I thought about what happened before I used my powers. There were butterflies just thinking about the kiss. I don't regret turning back time to undo that kiss, but it was so hard to admit that part of me wanted it to happen. It was just the way he made me feel. I found solace in his arms, and I had a true friend in that moment. It was stable and comforting.

The reason it was a kiss of regret is because it felt like a betrayal. Right now Chloe doesn't even know how we held hands on the train tracks and swam alone in the swimming pool at night. She doesn't know how the sunlight beamed as we woke in her bed together, or how I kissed her and turned back time just so I could do it again.

 _I reversed Warren's kiss to undo it, but I reversed Chloe's kiss so I could do it again._

My mind was fixated on Chloe. I checked my phone.

 **Chloe:** Parking lot.

 **Chloe:** Pronto.

 _She's here._ I felt my stomach drop. I picked up the pace, making a detour to the lot before heading to my room for the night. I walked with the wind, leaves flying ahead with the breeze, and I was like a determined soldier. I felt the confidence I've always felt knowing that I'll see her again. Part of me felt powerful beyond my time travel abilities. I was driven.

But then I was stopped in my tracks. "Miss Caulfield." I turned around. _Shit, it's Principle Wells!_ "You're not supposed to be walking around after dark."

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered pathetically. "I just needed some fresh air."

"Well, there are windows in all of the dormitory rooms for that purpose. You have no reason to be wandering the grounds." I didn't know where Principal Wells was walking from, but I knew where he was going. He had his own housing unit nearby, in the direction where I came from.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "It won't happen again. I'll just be heading back to the dorm now."

"Yes you will, and I will be escorting you."

I felt the phone in my hand vibrate again. It had to be Chloe. She would be waiting for a while unless I turned back time to avoid Principal Wells. I braced myself for the headache and went back a couple minutes, where I could see Principal Wells as a tiny speck in the distance walking towards his on-campus quarters. He was walking right towards me.

With quick thinking, I was in the bushes next to the walkway. I pulled out my phone.

 **Max:** Chloe, I'm hiding in a bush. Principal Wells is out.

I turned my phone on silent.

 **Chloe:** Yeah, I know.

 **Chloe:** He's going to bed. Wait it out.

When I could hear his footsteps, I closed my phone so the light wouldn't shine through the leaves. I held my breath and maintained perfect stillness as I watched his legs tread by. I waited another minute for good measure, and made sure he was out of sight before emerging from my leafy cocoon.

 **Max:** See you in a bit. :-)

 **Chloe:** NO EMOJIS.

I walked quickly, being more vigilant of my surroundings. I wasn't going to get caught again. I was done with my powers for the day, and I desperately needed to rest. I saw her by her truck at the far end of the lot. She waved me over, and I picked up the pace.

"Get in," she said when I was close.

I sighed. "Chloe, I can't go anywhere tonight."

"No," she said, leading me to the bed of her truck. "Get in." There was a very make-shift living room with some blankets and a couple beers. It reminded me of part of the junkyard that she and Rachel used to hang out. I shuddered knowing what happened to Rachel, and knowing that Chloe is still looking for her. There was a box of her fliers at the corner of the truck bed.

I'd have to break the news about Rachel, but I'd have to wait for the right time. I don't know when that will be, and I dread having to tell her.

"What do you think?" she asked, climbing in after me.

I smiled. "I can't stay long."

"I know, I know," she said, handing me a scratchy frayed blanket. It was dusty and smelled like smoke. I covered myself with it and watched her pop open a beer. She offered the other one to me.

Old Max wouldn't drink the beer. New Max wanted a beer after a long day and a throbbing headache. I grabbed it from her and watched her grin. "You have changed, my friend," she said, tapping her can to mine. "Didn't expect _that_ out of you." We both took a big gulp, and I almost spat out some of mine. If beer was an acquired taste, than it wasn't acquired for me yet.

"It's funny," I began. "When we first met again, in a different timeline, you-"

"Different timeline?" she asked, perplexed. She believed my abilities, but she didn't quite understand them yet.

"Chloe, I've lived these days before. I've gone back and forth, I've jumped to different timelines and altered destinies," I said. "When you alter destinies, you begin a new alternate timeline. Right now, this is another timeline. There is so much I need to tell you."

"Give it to me in doses," she said, lighting a cigarette. "I've just about had my dose of crazy for the day. Can't deal with much more."

"Yeah," I replied. "I know it's a lot. But to put it in perspective, you would be dead right now in the original timeline."

Chloe stared coldly, realizing that she really did just barely escape death. "You, you saved me. You did." I watched as she chugged the rest of her beer before crushing the can with her fist. "This is no coincidence."

"You're right," I said. "There's a lot to this whole time travel thing."

"Maybe you and I can grab some breakfast at Two Whales tomorrow. You could explain it a bit more. Mom's still flipping bacon there, living the dream," she said bitterly. "While my step-douche is getting paid to surveil this pocket of hell. I'm glad I got expelled."

"It's not all I thought it would be." That was the truth. I wanted to study photography without dealing with the social hierarchy, and the fact that the famous photography teacher is a predator with his camera.

"Got your hopes up, didn't you?"

"Yeah, guess I did." I said with a defeated tone. I only finished half of my beer before realizing that I felt different. It didn't take much to make me feel tipsy. "But yeah, we should meet for breakfast. My treat?"

As I was getting up, my knee slipped on the blanket, and I fell onto the metal bed near Chloe's feet. She laughed. "Can't hold your booze. You must be less than a hundred pounds."

"Something like that," I said, watching her grab the rest of my beer. "I gotta get going. I shouldn't be drinking in the first place. Might fuck with my powers."

"We wouldn't want that," she said, helping me out of the truck bed. "Then we wouldn't be able to have any fun with them tomorrow!" She pulled me in for a quick hug. Her hair smelled like coffee and spearmint. "Sorry if I was being kind of a bitch earlier. I was just bitter that you never called."

"I know," I said, rubbing her back before she pulled away. "But I'm here now."

"And you're not going anywhere this time."

"I couldn't leave you again."

"Alright, alright," she said, closing the door to the truck bed and grabbing her keys. "Enough of this sentimental shit. We got work to do. Let's meet up in the morning so you can buy me some eggs and bacon."

"Okay," I said, turning towards the parking lot. I took a few steps before she called out to me.

"Hey Max!" she exclaimed. When I turned around I saw her pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket. Her other hand held the half-beer I failed to finish. "I found this in my room earlier. I wanted you to hold onto it." I took it and opened it. It was a picture of us when we were thirteen. I think it was one that William took when he was still alive.

I continued to stare at it. It was like one of the photos I used to go back even further in time. I could never use it for something like that, knowing that the alternate timeline for keeping William alive was more bleak than letting him die in the car accident. Chloe still didn't know how my powers connect with my photography, and I didn't think I wanted to tell her about when I tried saving her dad.

"I'm glad you're back, Max," Chloe said, getting behind the wheel.

"Are you good to drive?" I asked, remembering the beer can she left in the truck bed.

She laughed. "How about you worry about how you're going to stumble your way into the dorms!"

"I'm not that drunk!" I called as she started the engine. I saw her chug the other half of my beer before crushing it and tossing it back into the truck bed with the other crushed can.

She waved, and then held her hand to her ear like a phone. "Tomorrow!" I gave her a thumb's up and she drove out of the parking lot.

I walked across the lot towards the girl's dorm, staring at the ground and making sure I was walking a decent straight line. I was more used to time travel than any mind-altering substance that Chloe could offer me. So I was hyper-aware of everything until I finally got to the dorm.

The halls were quiet and the lighting was dim. Most of the girls were sleeping, and those who weren't were quietly studying or watching make-up tutorials with their doors closed. Victoria's room, which was uncomfortably close to mine at the end of the hall, was silent with the door closed and the lights off. _The queen needs her beauty sleep._ Then I yawned just thinking about sleep. I was quite tired myself.

In my room, I turned on the paper lanterns and listened to Alt-J with the volume low. I checked my emails, and then my phone.

 **Warren:** Just give me a date, and we'll go on a date!

 **Warren:** That was lame, sorry.

 **Warren:** I promise I'm not a total loser! Good night!

After I had brushed my teeth in the bathroom and changed into shorts and a dorky t-shirt, I turned the music off along with the paper lanterns. I plugged my phone in and didn't bother setting an alarm. If I slept in, I could just go back. And I desperately needed some decent sleep.

As I drifted towards dreaming, I thought about Warren and Chloe. The kisses that I regret, and the ones I longed for again. I know that I'll have to see both of them very soon. I needed to figure out what I really felt, and what I wanted. I could play with time, but I couldn't play with people's hearts. But of course, I'd have unlimited time to figure out these emotions.


End file.
